devil

See also: Devil

English

The devil, as depicted by Gustave Doré in John Milton's poem Paradise Lost

Alternative forms

davil, debbil (pronunciation spelling)
diuel, divel (dialectal or archaic)
deuill, devel, devell, devill, diuell (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English devil, devel, deovel, from Old English dēofol, dēoful, from earlier dīobul (“devil”), from Latin diabolus, ultimately from Ancient Greek διάβολος (diábolos, “accuser, slanderer”), also as "Satan" (in Jewish/Christian usage, translating Biblical Hebrew שָׂטָן‎ (śātān)), from διαβάλλω (diabállō, “to slander”), literally “to throw across”, from διά (diá, “through, across”) + βάλλω (bállō, “throw”). The Old English word was probably adopted under influence of Latin diabolus (itself from the Greek). Other Germanic languages adopted the word independently: compare Saterland Frisian Düüwel (“devil”), West Frisian duvel (“devil”), Dutch duivel, duvel (“devil”), German Low German Düvel (“devil”), German Teufel (“devil”), Danish djævel (“devil”), Swedish djävul (“devil”) (older: djefvul, Old Swedish diævul, Old Norse djǫfull). Doublet of diable, diablo, and diabolus.

Pronunciation

enPR: dĕvʹəl, IPA^(key): /ˈdɛvəl/
(rare, dated) enPR: dĕvʹîl, IPA^(key): /ˈdɛvɪl/
Audio (US) (file)
Rhymes: -ɛvəl

Proper noun

the devil

(theology) The chief devil; Satan.
Synonyms: see Thesaurus:Satan
Antonym: God

Alternative forms

Devil

Translations

the devil: the chief devil

Albanian: djall (sq), dreq (sq),
Arabic: اَلشَّيْطَان‎ (ar) m (aš-šayṭān), إِبْلِيس‎ m (ʔiblīs)
Aramaic:
Classical Syriac: ܣܛܢܐ‎ m (sāṭānā)
Jewish Babylonian Aramaic: סָטָנָא‎ m (sāṭānā)
Armenian: սատանա (hy) (satana)
Bulgarian: сатана́ (bg) m (sataná)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 魔王 (zh) (mówáng)
Czech: satan (cs) m, ďábel (cs) m
Danish: djævlen, fanden, satan (da)
Dutch: de duivel (nl) m
Esperanto: Diablo, Satano (eo)
Faroese: fani m
Finnish: Saatana (fi), Paholainen, Perkele (fi), Sielunvihollinen (fi)
French: Diable (fr) m, Satan (fr) m
Galician: demo (gl) m
German: Teufel (de) m, Satan (de) m
Gothic: 𐌳𐌹𐌰𐌱𐌰𐌿𐌻𐌿𐍃 m (diabaulus)
Greek: Διάβολος (el) m (Diávolos)
Ancient: Σατανᾶς m (Satanâs)
Hebrew: שָׂטָן‎ (he) m (satán)
Hungarian: ördög (hu)
Icelandic: djöfullinn m, andskotinn m, fjandinn m, skrattinn m, kölski (is) m, fjárinn m, satan m
Irish: diabhal m
Italian: il diavolo (it) m
Japanese: 悪魔 (ja) (あくま, akuma), サタン (ja) (satan)
Kapampangan: mamayuyut, mikimarok
Khmer: សាតាំង (km) (saatang)
Korean: 악마(惡魔) (ko) (angma)
Kven: perkelet
Latin: Diabolus (la) m, Satanās m
Lithuanian: šėtonas m
Low German: Düwel (nds)
German Low German: Düvel (nds) m
Luxembourgish: Däiwel m, Satan m
Macedonian: ѓавол m (ǵavol), сатана f (satana)
Malagasy: devoly (mg)
Maltese: xitan m
Marathi: शैतान m (śaitān)
Middle English: devel
Old Church Slavonic:
Cyrillic: дїаволъ m (diavolŭ)
Osage: cˀá htą́ą
Persian: اهریمن‎ (fa) (ahriman)
Plautdietsch: Soton m
Polish: diabeł (pl) m, szatan (pl) m
Portuguese: Diabo (pt) m, Satã m, Satanás (pt) m
Romanian: Diavolul m, Satana, Necuratul m, Scaraoțchi m, Aghiuță m
Russian: дья́вол (ru) m (dʹjávol)
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: вра̑г m
Roman: vrȃg (sh) m
Spanish: diablo (es) m
Swahili: Ibilisi, Shetani
Swedish: Djävulen c, Satan (sv) c, Hin håle, Gamle Erik c (euphemistic)
Tzotzil: pukuj
Volapük: diab (vo), (obsolete) devel, el Satanas
Walloon: Diåle (wa) m, Malén (wa) m
Welsh: Diafol m
Yiddish: טײַוול‎ m (tayvl), שׂטן‎ m (sotn)

Noun

devil (plural devils)

(theology) An evil creature, the objectification of a hostile and destructive force.
Synonym: demon
Antonyms: angel, god
(folklore) A fictional image of a man, usually red or orange in skin color; with a set of horns on his head, a pointed goatee and a long tail and carrying a pitchfork; that represents evil and portrayed to children in an effort to discourage bad behavior.
The bad part of the conscience; the opposite to the angel.
Antonyms: angel, conscience
The devil in me wants to let him suffer.
A wicked or naughty person, or one who harbors reckless, spirited energy, especially in a mischievous way; usually said of a young child.
Synonyms: imp, rascal, scamp, scoundrel
Antonyms: angel, saint
Those two kids are devils in a toy store.
A thing that is awkward or difficult to understand or do.
Synonyms: bastard, bitch, (UK) bugger, stinker
Antonyms: (US) cakewalk, piece of cake
That math problem was a devil.
(euphemistic, with an article, as an intensifier) Hell.
Synonyms: (euphemistic) deuce, (euphemistic) dickens, (vulgar) fuck, heck, hell
What in the devil is that?
What the devil is that?
She is having a devil of a time fixing it.
You can go to the devil for all I care.
A person, especially a man; used to express a particular opinion of him, usually in the phrases poor devil and lucky devil.
Synonyms: (UK) bugger, (used of a woman) cow, (UK) sod
A printer's assistant. Also (India) "a poltergeist that haunts printing works".
A dust devil.
- 1877, H. F. Blandford, Indian Meteorologist's Vade-mecum (page 140)
  The formation of tornados and water-spouts is very probably identical with that of dust-storms and "devils," viz., a sudden disturbance of the vertical equilibrium of the atmosphere, where by an upward rush of air is generated, which rapidly becomes spiral.
- 1885, Richard F. Burton, chapter XII, in The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, volume I, The Burton Club, page 114 footnote:
  There are few sights more appalling than a sandstorm in the desert, the "Zauba'ah" as the Arabs call it. Devils, or pillars of sand, vertical and inclined, measuring a thousand feet high[.]
(dialectal, in compounds) A barren, unproductive and unused area.[1][2]
devil strip
(cooking) A dish, as a bone with the meat, broiled and excessively peppered; a grill with Cayenne pepper.
- 1815 February 24, [Walter Scott], Guy Mannering; or, The Astrologer. […], volume (please specify |volume=I, II, or III), Edinburgh: […] James Ballantyne and Co. for Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, […]; and Archibald Constable and Co., […], OCLC 742335644:
  Men and women busy in baking, broiling, roasting oysters, and preparing devils on the gridiron.
A machine for tearing or cutting rags, cotton, etc.
A Tasmanian devil.
- 2008, Joyce L. Markovics, Tasmanian Devil: Nighttime Scavenger, page 8:
  The stories told by Harris and the other settlers only made people more afraid of the devils. In the 1800s, for example, workers at a wool company were scared that the devils would attack their sheep.
(cycling, slang) An endurance event where riders who fall behind are periodically eliminated.
(nautical) Ellipsis of devil seam.: The seam between garboard strake and the keel (a seam on wooden boats)
Coordinate terms: between the devil and the deep blue sea, devil to pay

Derived terms

Terms derived from devil (noun)

a devil way
be a devil
bedevil
better the devil you know
better the devil you know than the devil you don't
better the devil you know than the devil you don't know
better the devil you know than the one you don't
better the devil you know than the one you don't know
Cartesian devil
dance with the devil
deal with the devil
devil a bit
devil bird
devil chase
devil dancing
devil devil
devil dodger
devil dog
devil facial tumor disease
devil grass
devil-in-a-bush
devil in disguise
devil in music
devil-in-the-bush
devilish, devillish
devilkin
devil lies in the details
devil-lore
devil-may-care
devilment
devil-on-the-neck
devil ray
devil-ridden
devilry, deviltry
devil’s advocate
devil’s bedposts
devil’s books
Devil's Bridge
devil’s coach-horse
devil screecher
Devil's Dyke
devil’s food cake
devil's footstep
devil's garden
devil sign
Devils Lake
devil's lane
devil's luck
Devil’s Night
devil's own
devil’s staircase
devil's strip
devil sticks
Devil’s Tower
devil strip
dust devil
fire-devil
fire devil
folk devil
foreign devil
full of the devil
give the devil his due
go-devil
go to the devil
hay devil
he-devil
he who sups with the devil should have a long spoon
hickory horned devil
how the devil
idle hands are the devil's workshop
kill-devil
kill devil
let the devil out
luck of the devil
native devil
needs must when the devil drives
noonday devil
play the devil with
poor devil
printer's devil
pull the devil by the tail
sea devil
she-devil
shoulder devil
silver tongued devil
snow devil
soot devil
speak of the devil
speak of the devil and he appears
speak of the devil and he shall appear
talk of the devil
Tasmanian devil
Tassie devil
Tazzie devil
the devil
the devil a one
the devil has all the best tunes
the devil is a liar
(the) devil is in the details
the devil looks after his own
the devil makes work for idle hands
(the) devil take the hindmost
the devil we know is better than the devil we don't
the devil we know is better than the devil we don't know
the devil you know is better than the devil you don't
the devil you know is better than the devil you don't know
the devil you say
thorny devil
water devil
what the devil
where the devil
white devil
who the devil
why the devil
yoke-devil

Related terms

diabolo
diablo

Descendants

Tok Pisin: tewel
→ Chuukese: tefin

Translations

evil creature

Afrikaans: duiwel
Albanian: dreq (sq) m, djall (sq) m, shejtan (sq) m
Amharic: ዲያቦሎስ (diyabolos), ሳይጣን (sayṭan), ኢብሊስ (ʾiblis)
Arabic: شَيْطَان‎ (ar) m (šayṭān), إِبْلِيس‎ m (ʔiblīs)
Armenian: դև (hy) (dew), սատանա (hy) (satana)
Aromanian: dracu
Assamese: চৈতান (soitan)
Asturian: diablu m
Azerbaijani: şeytan (az), iblis (az)
Bashkir: шайтан (şaytan), иблис (iblis)
Belarusian: чорт m (čort), д'я́бал m (dʺjábal), бес m (bjes), сатана́ m (sataná)
Bengali: শয়তান (bn) (śôyôtan), ইবলিশ (ibôliś), রাক্ষস (bn) (rakhôsô)
Bulgarian: дя́вол (bg) m (djávol), гя́вол m (gjávol) (alternative, archaic), сатана́ (bg) m (sataná), шейта́н (bg) m (šejtán) (Muslim)
Burmese: ငရဲမင်း (my) (nga.rai:mang:), နတ်ဆိုး (my) (nathcui:), ငရဲသား (my) (nga.rai:sa:), ယမမင်း (my) (ya.ma.mang:)
Catalan: dimoni (ca) m, diable (ca) m
Chechen: шайтӏа (šajtʼa), йилбаз (jilbaz), лилбаз (lilbaz)
Chinese:
Cantonese: 惡魔／恶魔, 恶魔 (ok³ mo¹), 魔鬼 (mo¹ gwai²)
Dungan: шэтани (šetani), йиблисы (yiblisɨ)
Mandarin: 惡魔／恶魔 (zh) (èmó), 魔鬼 (zh) (móguǐ), 邪魔 (zh) (xiémó), 惡鬼／恶鬼 (zh) (èguǐ)
Min Nan: 惡魔／恶魔 (zh-min-nan), 恶魔 (ok-mô͘), 魔鬼 (zh-min-nan) (mô͘-kúi)
Chuvash: явӑл m (javăl)
Cornish: dyowl m
Crimean Tatar: şaytan
Czech: ďábel (cs) m, čert (cs) m
Dalmatian: diaul m
Danish: djævel c
Dutch: duivel (nl) m
Esperanto: diablo
Estonian: kurat (et), saatan
Faroese: djevul m, devul m, fani m, fjandi m, níðingur m, púki m
Finnish: paholainen (fi), piru (fi), perkele (fi), sielunvihollinen (fi), demoni (fi) sg
French: diable (fr) m
Friulian: diaul m, cudiç m
Galician: demo (gl) m
Georgian: ეშმაკი (ešmaḳi)
German: Teufel (de) m
Gothic: 𐌳𐌹𐌰𐌱𐌰𐌿𐌻𐌿𐍃 m (diabaulus), 𐌿𐌽𐌷𐌿𐌻𐌸𐌰 m (unhulþa), 𐌿𐌽𐌷𐌿𐌻𐌸𐍉 m (unhulþō)
Greek: διάβολος (el) m (diávolos)
Ancient: διάβολος m (diábolos)
Greenlandic: diaavulu, tiaavulu
Gujarati: શયતાન m (śayatān)
Haitian Creole: dyab
Hausa: shaidan
Hebrew: שֵׁד‎ (he) m (shed), שָׂטָן‎ (he) m (satán)
Hindi: शैतान (hi) m (śaitān), दानव (hi) m (dānav), राक्षस (hi) m (rākṣas), देव (hi) m (dev), इबलीस (hi) m (iblīs)
Hungarian: ördög (hu)
Hunsrik: Deivel m
Icelandic: djöfull (is) m, fjandi (is) m, skratti m, ári m, fjári (is) m
Ido: diablo (io)
Indonesian: iblis (id), syaitan (id), setan (id)
Interlingua: diabolo
Irish: diabhal m
Istriot: giavo m, djavo m
Italian: diavolo (it) m
Japanese: 悪魔 (ja) (あくま, akuma), 鬼 (ja) (おに, oni), 悪鬼 (ja) (あっき, akki)
Kannada: ದೆವ್ವದ (devvada)
Kapampangan: mamayuyut, mikimarok, dimoniyu, diyablu
Kazakh: жын (kk) (jyn), сайтан (saitan), шайтан (şaitan), әбілет (äbılet), ібіліс (ıbılıs)
Khakas: айна (ayna)
Khmer: បិសាច (km) (bəysaac), សាតាំង (km) (saatang), យម (yum)
Kikuyu: caitaani
Korean: 악마(惡魔) (ko) (angma), 악귀(惡鬼) (ko) (akgwi)
Kurdish:
Northern Kurdish: şeytan (ku) m, îblîs (ku) m
Kven: perkelet
Kyrgyz: шайтан (ky) (şaytan), азезил (ky) (azezil), жин (ky) (jin)
Laboya: moritana
Lao: ປີສາດ (pī sāt)
Latgalian: valns, lyga
Latin: diabolus (la) m, larva f
Latvian: velns m
Lithuanian: velnias m
Low German:
German Low German: Düvel (nds) m
Luxembourgish: Däiwel m
Macedonian: ѓавол m (ǵavol), враг m (vrag), шејтан m (šejtan) (Muslim)
Malagasy: devoly (mg)
Malay: iblis, syaitan
Malayalam: ചെകുത്താൻ (ml) (cekuttāṉ)
Maltese: xitan m, xitana f
Maore Comorian: shetwani class 9
Maori: rēwera
Marathi: सैतान m (saitān)
Megleno-Romanian: drac
Middle English: devel
Mongolian:
Cyrillic: буг (mn) (bug), чөтгөр (mn) (čötgör)
Nepali: शैतान (śaitān)
North Frisian: (Mooring, Föhr-Amrum) düüwel m
Northern Altai: буг (bug), шедгер (šedger)
Northern Ohlone: 'uténmak
Northern Sami: biro, vuoras, oinnolaš
Norwegian:
Bokmål: djevel m
Nynorsk: djevel m
Occitan: diable (oc) m
Ojibwe: maji-manidoo
Old Church Slavonic:
Cyrillic: бѣсъ m (běsŭ), дїаволъ m (diavolŭ), диꙗволъ m (dijavolŭ)
Old East Slavic: чортъ m (čortŭ), бѣсъ m (běsŭ), диꙗволъ m (dijavolŭ)
Old English: deofol n
Old Norse: djǫfull m
Old Persian: 𐎭𐎡𐎺 (daiva)
Oriya: ଶୟତାନ (śôyôtanô)
Ossetian: хӕйрӕг (xæjræg)
Ottoman Turkish: شیطان‎ (şeytan)
Pashto: شيطان‎ (ps) m (šaytān), ابليس‎ (ps) m (eblis)
Persian: دیو‎ (fa) (div), ابلیس‎ (fa) (eblis), شیطان‎ (fa) (šeytân)
Polish: diabeł (pl) m, bies (pl) m, czart (pl) m, czort (pl) m, ciort m, kaduk m (archaic), licho (pl) n, kusy (pl) m
Portuguese: diabo (pt) m
Punjabi: ਸ਼ੈਤਾਨ (pa) (śaitān)
Quechua: supay (qu)
Romani: beng m
Romanian: drac (ro) m, diavol (ro) m, satană (ro) f, demon (ro) m, michiduță (ro) m
Romansch: diavel m
Russian: чёрт (ru) m (čort), дья́вол (ru) m (dʹjávol), бес (ru) m (bes), сатана́ (ru) m (sataná) (Satan), шайта́н (ru) m (šajtán) (Muslim)
Sanskrit: पाप्मन् (sa) m (pāpman), पापीयस् (sa) m (pāpīyas), राक्षस (sa) m (rākṣasa), दानव (sa) m (dānava)
Sardinian: diàbulu m, diàulu m, diàvulu m
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: вра̑г m, ђа̏во̄ m, ђа̏вао m, ше́јта̄н m (Muslim)
Roman: vrȃg (sh) m, đȁvō (sh) m, đȁvao (sh) m, šéjtān (sh) m (Muslim)
Shor: айна
Sicilian: diàvulu (scn) m
Sinhalese: යක්ෂයා (yakṣayā)
Slovak: diabol m, čert (sk) m
Slovene: vrag (sl) m, hudič (sl) m
Slovincian: čǻrnï bȯ́u̯g m, djɵ̏·u̯bĕl m
Somali: sheydaan
Southern Altai: шайтан (šaytan)
Spanish: diablo (es) m
Sundanese: sétan
Swahili: ibilisi (sw), shetani (sw)
Swedish: djävul (sv) c, jävel (sv) c
Tajik: иблис (iblis), шайтон (tg) (šayton)
Tamil: பேய் (ta) (pēy)
Tatar: шайтан (tt) (şaytan), иблис (tt) (iblis)
Telugu: దయ్యము (te) (dayyamu)
Thai: ซาตาน (saa-dtaan), ปีศาจ (th) (bpii-sàat), มาร (th) (maan)
Tibetan: བདུད (bdud)
Tigrinya: ሰይጣን (säyṭan)
Turkish: İblis, şeytan (tr)
Turkmen: şeýtan, iblis
Udmurt: шайтан (šajtan), пери (peri)
Ukrainian: чорт m (čort), біс (uk) m (bis), дия́вол (uk) m (dyjávol), ді́дько m (dídʹko), сатана́ m (sataná)
Urdu: شیطان‎ m (śaitān), ابلیس‎ (ur) m (iblīs)
Uyghur: شەيتان‎ (sheytan), ئىبلىس‎ (iblis)
Uzbek: shayton (uz), iblis (uz)
Venetian: diavoło, diol, diauło, diaolo, diaoło, diaol, dial
Vietnamese: ma (vi) (魔), quỷ (vi) (鬼 (vi))
Volapük: (♂♀) diab (vo), (♂) hidiab, (♀) jidiab (vo), (obsolete) devel
Walloon: diåle (wa) m
Welsh: diafol m
West Frisian: duvel
Yiddish: טײַוול‎ m (tayvl), שׂטן‎ m (sotn), שד‎ m (shed), רוח‎ m (ruekh), נישט־גוטער‎ m (nisht-guter)

bad part of the conscience

Czech: ďábel (cs) m
Dutch: duivel (nl) m
Finnish: piru (fi)
French: diable (fr) m
German: Teufel (de) m
Greek: δαίμονας (el) m (daímonas)
Hebrew: יצר הרע‎ (he) m (yétzer ha'rá)
Kapampangan: dimoniyu
Low German:
German Low German: Düvel (nds) m
Luxembourgish: Däiwel m
Portuguese: diabo (pt) m
Serbo-Croatian: vrag (sh) m
Yiddish: יצר־הרע‎ m (yeytsr-hore)

wicked or naughty person

Chinese:
Mandarin: 魔王 (zh) (mówáng)
Czech: ďábel (cs) m
Dutch: duivel (nl) m, deugniet (nl) m
Finnish: paholainen (fi), piru (fi), perkele (fi)
French: diable (fr) m
German: Teufel (de) m, Teufelin (de) f
Greek: δαίμονας (el) m (daímonas), διάβολος (el) m (diávolos), ζιζάνιο (el) n (zizánio)
Hebrew: מַזִּיק‎ m (mazík)
Icelandic: andskoti (is) m, fjandi (is) m, djöfull (is) m, skratti m
Irish: diabhal m, áibhirseoir m
Kapampangan: diyablus, marok
Low German:
German Low German: Düvel (nds) m
Luxembourgish: Däiwel m
Macedonian: ѓавол m (ǵavol), враг m (vrag), шејтан m (šejtan)
Marathi: शैतान m (śaitān)
Middle English: devel
Portuguese: diabo (pt) m
Russian: чёрт (ru) m (čort), дья́вол (ru) m (dʹjávol)
Serbo-Croatian:
Roman: vrag (sh) m
Slovincian: djɵ̏·u̯bĕl m
Spanish: diablo (es) m
Swedish: djävul (sv) c
Volapük: (♂♀) diabälan, (♂) hidiabälan, (♀) jidiabälan (vo)
Yiddish: מזיק‎ m (mazek) (of a child), באַנדיט‎ m (bandít) (of a child)

thing that is awkward or difficult to understand

Chinese:
Mandarin: 家伙 (zh) (jiāhuǒ), traditional variant: 傢伙／家伙 (zh)
Dutch: harde noot f
Finnish: pirullinen tehtävä, pirullinen tilanne
Georgian: ეშმაკობა (ešmaḳoba)
Kapampangan: diyablus
Macedonian: ѓаволштина f (ǵavolština)
Russian: чертовщи́на (ru) f (čertovščína), дья́вольщина (ru) f (dʹjávolʹščina)

euphemistically, with an article: Hell (as an intensifier)

Dutch: verduiveld (nl)
Finnish: piru (fi), helvetti (fi)
German: Teufel (de) m
Hebrew: עזאזל‎ m (azazél)
Kapampangan: diyablu
Low German:
German Low German: Düvel (nds) m
Luxembourgish: Däiwel m
Marathi: शैतानी (śaitānī)
Polish: diabeł (pl) m
Portuguese: diabo (pt) m
Russian: чёрт (ru) m (čort), дья́вол (ru) m (dʹjávol)

person, especially a man; used to express a particular opinion of him

Dutch: duivel (nl) m, duvel (nl) m (informal)
Finnish: piru (fi), paskiainen (fi)
French: type (fr) m
German: Teufel (de) m
Greek: διάβολος (el) m (diávolos)
Kapampangan: diyablus, pikasaman
Low German:
German Low German: Düvel (nds) m
Macedonian: ѓавол m (ǵavol)
Marathi: शैतान m (śaitān)
Romanian: drac (ro) m

dust devil — see dust devil

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

Albanian: ^{(please verify)} djall (sq), ^{(please verify)} dreqi
Catalan: ^{(please verify)} diable (ca) m
Estonian: ^{(please verify)} kurat (et)
French: ^{(please verify)} diable (fr) m
Hindi: ^{(please verify)} शैतान (hi) (śaitān)
Indonesian: ^{(please verify)} setan (id), ^{(please verify)} iblis (id)
Italian: ^{(please verify)} diavolo (it) m, ^{(please verify)} demonio (it) m
Italian: ^{(please verify)} diavolo (it), ^{(please verify)} cavolo (it)
Latin: ^{(please verify)} diabolus (la) m
Norman: ^{(please verify)} dgiâbl'ye
Romanian: ^{(please verify)} drac (ro) m, ^{(please verify)} diavol (ro) m, ^{(please verify)} naiba (ro) f
Turkish: ^{(please verify)} Şeytan (tr)
Vietnamese: ^{(please verify)} ma (vi), ^{(please verify)} quỷ (vi), ^{(please verify)} ma quỷ (vi)
Welsh: ^{(please verify)} diafol, ^{(please verify)} diawl (in curses)

Verb

devil (third-person singular simple present devils, present participle (US) deviling or devilling, simple past and past participle (US) deviled or devilled)

To make like a devil; to invest with the character of a devil.
To annoy or bother.
Synonyms: bedevil; see also Thesaurus:annoy
To work as a ‘devil’; to work for a lawyer or writer without fee or recognition.
- 1978, Lawrence Durrell, Livia, Faber & Faber 1992 (Avignon Quintet), page 401:
  He did not repeat the scathing estimate of her character by Quatrefages, who at that time spent one afternoon a week devilling at the Consulate, keeping the petty-cash box in order.
To prepare (food) with spices, making it spicy:
1. To grill with cayenne pepper; to season highly in cooking, as with pepper.
  - 1912, Stephen Leacock, “The Hostelry of Mr. Smith”, in Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town, page 28:
    […] ; you could watch a buckwheat pancake whirled into existence under your eyes and see fowls' legs devilled, peppered, grilled, and tormented till they lost all semblance of the original Mariposa chicken.
2. To finely grind cooked ham or other meat with spices and condiments.
3. To prepare a sidedish of shelled halved boiled eggs to whose extracted yolks are added condiments and spices, which mixture then is placed into the halved whites to be served.
  She's going to devil four dozen eggs for the picnic.

Usage notes

UK usage doubles the l in the inflected forms "devilled" and "devilling"; US usage generally does not.

Derived terms

food

deviled egg, devilled egg
deviled ham, devilled ham
devilled sausages

bothersome

between the devil and the deep blue sea
devil bolt (sham/fake bolt)
devil seam
devil to pay

Translations

annoy or bother

Bulgarian: измъчвам (bg) (izmǎčvam), безпокоя (bg) (bezpokoja)
Dutch: beduvelen (nl), pesten (nl), plagen (nl)
Finnish: ärsyttää (fi), suututtaa (fi)
German: reizen (de), ärgern (de), aufbringen (de), plagen (de), schikanieren (de)
Icelandic: djöflast í, plága, þjá

grill with cayenne pepper

Dutch: peperen (nl)
Finnish: pippuroida (fi)

References

Dictionary of Regional American English
Word Detective: Tales from the berm

Anagrams

divel, lived, vilde, viled

Middle English

Noun

devil

Alternative form of devel

[1] Dictionary of Regional American English

[2] Word Detective: Tales from the berm

devil

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

Pronunciation

Proper noun

Alternative forms

Translations

Noun

Derived terms

Related terms

Descendants

Translations

Verb

Usage notes

Derived terms

Translations

See also

References

Further reading

Anagrams

Middle English

Noun